Key envelope



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,682,755 W. H. HOLLAR, JR., ET AL KEY ENVELOPE Filed Aug. 5, 1926 Patented Sept. 4, 1972515.

UNITE STATES uIlll'illhl'iln'llfI H. HOLLAR, JR., OF DREXEL HILL, AND WALTER- G. UHLMAN, OF :PHILA- DELPIIIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY nivnnorn.

Application filed August 3. 1926. Serial No. 125,813.

It is the present practice for banking institutions to lease what are termed deposit boires,7 to wit, small drawers provided with locks, which may be opened by keys furnished to the lessees. Despite the usual precautions; it is possible that such boxes may be fraudulently opened by any employee of the lessor who has had access to the keys before the delivery -of the same to 10 the lessee, and thus had an opportunity of making, or having made, a duplicate or duplicates of the saine.

rlherefore, the principal object and `effect of our invention is to provide an envelope y with means so constructed and arranged that it may be utilized to seelude any such original key, from the time of its manufacture until its delivery to the lessee. In the forni of our invention hereinafter described, such 2u` an envelope includes a sheet of flexible inaterial which may be wrapped aroundthe shank portions of the keys which are provided with the bitting notches for the lock tumblers. Said sheet includes a tongue which may be extended through a hole in the handle of a key and have its end sealed in connection with the envelope. Preferably, said sheet is formed of ductile metal, such as annealed copper or brass; so that the tongue may be sealed with solder. Although such key seeluding means is in no sense burglar proof, it is of such character as to manifest if any attempt has been made to open it, and the fact that it has not` been tampered with, affords assurance to the lessee that no unauthorized person has had an opportunity of making a duplicate of the key or keysthns secluded.

Our inventionincludes the various novel features of construction and arrangement hereinafter more definitely specilied.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a perspective view of an envelope embodying our invention, in its initial form and condition, before use. Fig. II is a perspective view of said envelope secluding two keys and in its normal sealed condition. Fig. III is a longitudinal sectional view of the structure shown in Fig. II. Fig. IV is a transverse sectional view `of said structure shown in Figs. II and III. Fig; V isa perspective view of a modified form of envelope, with attached coatings of adhesive. Fig. VI is a perspective view of a modified form of envelope, including a seamless metal tube.

Il' ig. VII is an elevation of a strip of metal from which tongues` "such as indicated in Fig. VI may be cut. y

l In saidligures; the envelope l is conveniently formed of a `primarily plane sheet of ductile metal; the rectangular body thereo f having opposite end edges 2 and 3 and side edges d and 5; said edge 2 being provided with a` tongue 6 projecting from `said bocy, in unitary relation therewith.

Said envelope niay be bent upon the four lines 8, 9, 10and il indicated bydots in I, to 'the tubular form shown in Figl Il wherein the edge l overlaps the edge 5. Said tube is adapted to receive and seclude the shanks 14 of duplicate keys provided with the bittings 15, and said tongue" G is extended through the "registered holes 16 in the bow handles 17 ofsaidkeys, andy the end of said tongue returned parallel and in contact with said edge 4t of the envelope body. Said tongue may then be connected with both of the edge portions d and 5 of said envelope body, by any suitable sealing means ll, for instance, a drop of solder, fused iii engagement with said elements 4, 5 and G and distinctively marked at 20.`

Said key shanks ltare thus secluded so that neither of them, nor the bittings 15 thereof, Vcan be copied upon another key blank, without opening said envelope 1;` by breaking either said sealing means 19 or said tongue 6. Consequently, any attempt to use said keys in any fraudulent manner above contemplated is manifested by the damaged condition of their inclosure, and, if the envelope and seal are intact, when delivered to the lessee, the latter' is assured that no unauthorized person has had the opportunity of making a duplicate of the keys thus secluded. Howeveigthe tongue 6 may be easily Vcut to release said keys for legitimate use.` Although, as above described, we prefei` to forni the envelope 1 of sheet metal and to seal it with fusedmetal adherent thereto; such envelopesniaybe made of any suitable niaterial. For instance, envelopes of the precise configuration shown in Fig. I may be made of stiff paper or other fabric and be sealed, as at 1,9, by any suitable means; for instance, ordinary sealing wax or other frangihle adhesive material, adapted to receive a distinctive impression 20 from a die or other means for marking it;

.froin a long stri which impression must be destroyed or, at least, damaged before the envelope can be opened.

However, as shown in Fig. V, the inner face of the edge portion 4 of the paper envelope may be provided with a coating 21 of glue or other adhesive which may be caused to adhere to the edge portion 5 when in the position shown in Fig. IV. The .inner surface of the tongue 6 may be similar'- ly provided with a coating of adhesive 22 which is caused to adhere to both said envelope edffe portions `4 and 5 when in the position shown in Fig. I V.

The form of our invention shown in Fig. VI includes an envelope 24 which is an oblate tube adapted to slip over the shanks of one or more keys as above described.

Such envelopes 24 may be formed of primarily flat sheet metal orof seamless tubing. Such tubes 24 have loops pressed from opposite side Walls thereof, to receive tongues 26y Such tongues` may be cut as indicated in Fig. VII, so as to have pointed ends 27 for ready engagement with said loops. Such tongues 26 maybe sealed in connection with the envelopes 24 by any suitable" means such as above described. y

Therefore, we do not desire to limiteurselves to the precise Vdetails of construction andfarrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features ol our invention, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: p 1. `An envelope formed of a primarily fiat `sheet of flexible material adapted to be wrapped around a key and conceal the bitting thereof, and having a member, in unitary relation therewith, adaptedto extend in a hole in said key.

2. An envelope formed of flexible sheet `material adapted to be wrapped around a shank of a ke provided with aybitting and conceal said pitting, and having a tongue member in integral relation therewith, adapted to extend through a holein said key. 3. The combination with an envelope formed of flexible sheetmaterial adapted to be Wrapped around a key and having a tongue in integral relation therewith,

. adaptedto extend in a hole in said key; of

sealing means adapted to connect said tongue with the body of said envelope; whereby a key may be secluded in said envelopeuntil the latter is disrupted or said sealing means displaced.

4. The; combination with an envelope latter is disrupted or said sealing means displaced.

5. The combination with an envelo e formed of flexible sheet metal adapted to e wrapped around a key and having a mem ber in :integral relation therewith, adapted to extend in a hole iu said key; of sealing means; including solder, connecting said member with the body of said envelope;

whereby a key may be secluded in said en-` velope until the latter is disrupted or said sealing means displaced.

(i. The combination with an lenvelope formed of flexible sheet metal adapted to be wrapped around the bitted shank of a key and having a marginal tonue, in unitary relation therewith, adapted to extend througha hole in said key; and sealing means, including solder, connecting said tongue Awith the body of` said envelope; whereby a key may be secluded in said cnvelope until the latter is disrupted or said sealing means displaced. y

7. The combination with' an envelope ot sheet metal forming a tube adapted to receive a key; of a tongue of metal adapted to extend through a hole in the key and connected with said envelope at its opposite ends.

8. The combination with an envelope of `sheet metal forming a tube adapted to receivc a key; of a tongue of metal adapted to extend through a hole in the key and connected with said envelope at its opposite end; said envelope havingloops, fin unitary relation therewith, to receive the ends of said tongue; and sealing means connecting said tongue with said envelope at the region oit said lops.

9. The combination with an envelope termin an inelosure for a key; of a member adapte( to extend thru a hole in the key and thru openings in opposite walls of said envelope and connected with said envelope at its opposite ends. y

In vtestimony whereof, We have hereunto siened our Vnames at Philadelphia, Pennsytlvania, this twenty-fourth day of July, 1926.

WILLIAM H. nomina, JB. WALTER e. UHIMAN.

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